HE GIVETH STRENGTH

HE GIVETH STRENGTH!

Isa 40:29-31

29 He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength.

30 Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall:

31 But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.

           Hurricane Harvey has done his best to destroy southern Texas. He has not and will not succeed! One of our firefighters, a paramedic, has just returned home from the Houston area where he engaged in water rescue operations. He is exhausted but he will bounce back. We will bounce back.

           Our God understands that our frame is weak and there are limits to our resources. Even young men grow weary but God promises power [vigor] and strength.

           Whatever has been draining your strength is no match for the God of heaven! Seek Him out! Rest in his presence! “To them that have no might he increases strength.”

Dear Lord, restore and refuel those who are weary today. AMEN

NO LIMITS

NO LIMITS!

1 Kings 19:19-21

19 So he departed thence, and found Elisha the son of Shaphat, who was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen before him, and he with the twelfth: and Elijah passed by him, and cast his mantle upon him.

20 And he left the oxen, and ran after Elijah, and said, Let me, I pray thee, kiss my father and my mother, and then I will follow thee. And he said unto him, Go back again: for what have I done to thee?

21 And he returned back from him, and took a yoke of oxen, and slew them, and boiled their flesh with the instruments of the oxen, and gave unto the people, and they did eat. Then he arose, and went after Elijah, and ministered unto him.

Luke 9:61-62

61 And another also said, Lord, I will follow thee; but let me first go bid them farewell, which are at home at my house.

62 And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.

           Elijah was tired and a bit grumpy as well. He had fought a great spiritual battle but the strain upon him left him in a cave asking God for retirement in the form of sudden death. God told him that he wasn’t quite finished with his tasks. He had at least two things left to do before mounting the fiery chariot for heaven. One of those was to select his own replacement.

           Elisha was found plowing with two dozen oxen which indicated that his family was wealthier than most. Elijah, without saying a word, cast his outer garment upon Elisha indicating the Lord’s call upon his life. The sudden shift from plow boy to preacher boy must have been a shock. He requests just enough time to bid his family farewell. Elijah flew into a bit of a rant which questioned the commitment of this young farm boy.

           What Elisha does next proves that he had no intention of limiting God’s control of his life. He killed two of the plow oxen for a farewell feast and used his plow for fuel. We would understand that he was “burning his bridges.” There would be no turning back because there was nothing to return to.

           Dr. Charles Stanley says: “You are only as committed as you are obedient to whatever God is asking of you at any given moment. If you've posted a "no trespassing" sign anywhere in your life, it's time to take it down.”

Dear Lord, today I recommit my entire life to you. I unlock all my locked and secret doors. I do not want to limit your access. AMEN

LORD HAVE MERCY

LORD, HAVE MERCY!

Ps 123

123 Unto thee lift I up mine eyes, O thou that dwellest in the heavens.

2 Behold, as the eyes of servants look unto the hand of their masters, and as the eyes of a maiden unto the hand of her mistress; so our eyes wait upon the Lord our God, until that he have mercy upon us.

3 Have mercy upon us, O Lord, have mercy upon us: for we are exceedingly filled with contempt.

4 Our soul is exceedingly filled with the scorning of those that are at ease, and with the contempt of the proud.

           This Psalm addresses the cruel treatment of those Jews held captive by the Babylonians. We ask ourselves if anyone has ever suffered like the Jew! Yet missiologists say that more Christians have been martyred in the twentieth century than all other centuries combined.

           “Lord, have mercy!” was used often by mother and her generation. I have heard her say it many times. Too many times actually because I was often the cause of her consternation. Whenever she couldn’t understand my actions and attitudes, whenever she couldn’t believe the mess I had made of things, and whenever I needed grace she would often say “Lord, have mercy.” I usually joined her very soon in saying it myself.

           Asking for God’s mercy is an admission of our weakness and His strength. It acknowledges our emptiness and His fullness. It confesses our stupidity and His wisdom. It is a cry for help when we are suffering. It is a cry for wisdom when we are perplexed. It is a cry for rescue when we are in trouble.

Lord, have mercy on all those who call on thee today. AMEN

REFINING FIRE

REFINING FIRE!

Isa 48:8-13

8 Yea, thou heardest not; yea, thou knewest not; yea, from that time that thine ear was not opened: for I knew that thou wouldest deal very treacherously, and wast called a transgressor from the womb.

9 For my name's sake will I defer mine anger, and for my praise will I refrain for thee, that I cut thee not off.

10 Behold, I have refined thee, but not with silver; I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction.

11 For mine own sake, even for mine own sake, will I do it: for how should my name be polluted? and I will not give my glory unto another.

12 Hearken unto me, O Jacob and Israel, my called; I am he; I am the first, I also am the last.

13 Mine hand also hath laid the foundation of the earth, and my right hand hath spanned the heavens: when I call unto them, they stand up together.

           Willingly ignorant, stubbornly unyielding and morally deaf, Israel was about to learn why they had suffered so much affliction. Like the old Smith Barney commercial says, “they earned it!” They earned it through their convoluted system of values which praised the gods of power, prowess and possessions.

           Our society has little patience for those in second place and there is a general disrespect for the elderly because they seem to be unable or unwilling to keep pace with the blazing download of information. They are out of date and out of touch with a reality that has just now changed! We are now suffering the emptiness which invariably results from the opium of a sustained string of successful accomplishments.

           C. S. Lewis in his The Problem of Pain said that affliction is God’s megaphone to a morally deaf world. It must be so because our world is now experiencing both corruption and affliction. God has dealt us unrest, illness, failure and want. It seems we can no longer manipulate circumstances for a favorable outcome. Our god of self has failed us and it is an enlightening thing.

           God will not share his glory with another. When Saul was strong he persecuted the church but when he was confronted by a mighty God and became weak and blind Paul built the church. Paul learned a valuable lesson but he had to learn it in the furnace of affliction.

2 Cor 12:9-10

9 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.

           Our God is a mighty God. He measures the heavens with just his right hand and when he calls to the stars they assemble as a troupe (Isaiah 48:13).

God of Wonders let me today see Thy glory and not compete with it. AMEN

JESUS PRAYS FOR US

JESUS PRAYS FOR US!

Mark 1:35

35 And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he [Jesus] went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed.

Luke 22:31-32

31 And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat:

32 But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.

Matt 26:36

36 Then cometh Jesus with them unto a place called Gethsemane, and saith unto the disciples, Sit ye here, while I go and pray yonder.

           Jesus prayed – a lot! He prayed early in the morning before light and before people. Don’t you wonder what Jesus was praying for?

           Jesus prayed – specifically! He prayed for Simon Peter regarding Peter’s test of faith. We all know that Peter denied the Lord three times while warming his hands at the enemy’s fire. We also know that he reaffirmed his devotion three times before the breakfast fire after the Lord’s resurrection. Jesus prayed specifically for Peter and that prayer was answered.

           Jesus prayed – generally! In John chapter 17 Jesus prayed for you and for me. He prayed in general terms because He prayed for all those who WOULD believe. So He prayed for me.

           Jesus is still praying! He sits at the Father’s right hand – ever living to intercede for us. Whatever troubles you today is already being seriously considered in heaven.

Thank you, Lord, for praying for me. AMEN